Battery tool



J. E. BERGMAN ET :AL 9

BATTERY TOOL Filed Dec. 12, 1931 batteries,

Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JEROME E. BERGHAN, OF BUFFALO, AND FREDERICK P. EGO, OF KENMORE, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNORS TO BERG-MAN TOOL MFGQCO OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A FIRM COM- POSED OF CAROLINE E. BERGMAN, JEROME E. BERGMAN AND RAY W. KEMPNER BATTERY TOOL Application filed December 12, 1931. Serial No. 580,622.

This invention relates generally to a tool designed for use in connection with storage and particularly to a tool for facilitating the removal of the term nal clamps from the posts of such batteries.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a tool of this character which is so constructed and organized as to effect a dual act on, that of contracting the jaw elements of the tool into gripping engagement with the terminal clamp and at the same time exerting a lift on the clamp to loosen and remove the same from the post.

Another object is to provide a battery tool which is simple, compact and inexpensive in construction, which is convenient and easy to handle, and which is provided with means for normally maintaining the jaws contracted about the terminal clamp.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a battery tool or terminal clamp lifter which is designed to effectively grip the clamp either below its lower edge or in its outer face, thereby rendering the tool universally applicable for use with various types of batteries irrespective of the position of the clamp on the post.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tool embodying our invention. Figure 2 is a sde elevation of the tool showing the same in position for applying it to a clamp which it is desired to lines depicting the engaged or contracted position of the jaws about the terminal clamp.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the tool showing the relative position of its parts with the clamp partially removed from the battery-post. Figure 4 is a side elevat on of the tool showing the jaws thereof engaged with the outer surface or side of the clamp.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, the samecomprises a yoke or frame 10 provided centrally thereof with an opening 11 and terminating at its ends on opposite sidesof said opening withbifurcated or forked portions 12 beremove from the post, the dotted tween which are pivoted contractible jaws 13, 13 fulcrumed intermediate their ends on horizontal pivot pins 14. Extending freely through the frame-opening 11 is a screw stem 15 provided at its upper end with a cross bar or handlelfi and at its lower end with a swivel abutment member or disk 17.

Mounted on the screw stem 15 above the yoke 10 is a jaw controlling member or nut 18 having an internally threaded opening 19 centrally thereof for receiving the stem and permitting a relative movement of such parts axially of the stem. At its opposite sides the nut 18 is provided with outwardly-facing notches or recesses 20 which are in vertical alinement with those of the bifurcated yokeportions 12 and through which the uppei'yends of the jaws 13 extend. The bottoms or inner faces 21 of these notches are oppositely, inclined upwardly and inwardly 'towardthe of the adjoining portions'of the jaws 13 are correspondingly inclined, as indicated at 22. Above the inclined portions, the jaws are provided with finger grips or extensions 23 which preferably diverge outwardly from such portions. By this construction and arrangement of parts, when the tool is grasped by the hand of the user in the manner shown by dotted lines in Figure 2 and the jaws 13 are contracted or expanded at their handle ends by reason of the resulting wedge-like action prol0 screw stem axis and the opposing inner edges duced by the inclined faces 21, 22, the yoke 10 is accordPngl moved upwardly or downwardly relative y to the stem 15 toward or from the nut 18, such inclined faces also serving to govern the contacting and expanding movements of the jaws and constituting supporting shoulders for suspension of the jawcarrying yoke 10 from the nut V Surrounding the screw stem 15 and interposed between the yoke 10 and nut 18 is a conically shaped coil spring 24 which constantly tends to lower'the yoke relative to the nut as well as urge the jaws 13 to their contracted position for the purpose of limiting the contraction of the 'aws, those portions thereof adjacent the fulcrum pins'14'are provided with abutment faces 25 which are adapted to engageor strike against the adjoining faces 2 1,893,358 of the forked portions 12 of the .yoke. opening, a screw stem extending freely Furthermore, these faces are so disposed that through said opening, a member disposed.

at the limit of contraction of the jaws, the

inclined faces 22 of the latter are in engagement with the companion faces 21 of the nutnotches 20.

The lower ends of the jaws terminate in gripping-elements of any appropriate construction, but we prefer that they be in the form of comparatively sharp tooth-like elements 26, which, as shown in Fi ure 2, face inwardly wlth their sharpened e ges extending somewhat upwardly so that they will effectually grip the battery clam 27 either beneath its lower edge, as when t e lower edge of the clamp is spaced somewhat from the top of the battery, as shown in Figure 2, or bite into its exterlor face in the manner shown in Figure 4, when the clamp rests with its lower ed e against the top of the battery.

11 applying the tool to a battery clamp to loosen the same from the post and remove it therefrom, the user grasps the tool in the manner shown in Figure 2 and contracts the handles 23 to expand the jaws places the tool over the terminal clamp and, depending on the position of the clamp on the post, releases his grip on the handles to permit the jaw-teeth 26 to engage under the pressure of the spring 24, beneath the lower edge of the clamp as seen in Figure 2, or to engage the side of the clamp, as seen in Figure 4. The screw stem 15 which has been previously elevated, is, now screwed down in abutting engagement with the top of the battery post, thereby effecting a differential movement to first, further contract the jaws into firm gripping engagement with the terminal clamp by reason of the upward movement of the nut 18 on the then relatively stationar screw 15 and, second, to simultaneously e ect the u ward movement of the jaw-carrying yo e 10 to pry or loosen the clamp and thence lift it from the post. The spring 24 tends to maintain the jaws contracted about the clamp and by so doing the latter can be held, if desiggtd, by the tool after its removal from the What is claimed is:-

1. A tool of the character described, comprising a yoke having an opening therein, jaws fulcrumed on said yoke at opposite sides of its opening, a screw stem extending freely through said opening, a member in threaded engagement with said screw and having means for controlling the movement of said jaws, and a spring interposed between said jaw-carrying yoke and said screw-engaging member.

2. A tool of the character described, comprising a yoke having a central opening therein and bifurcated ends at opposite sides of said opening in line therewith, aws fulcrumed in said bifurcated yoke-ends to swing toward and from the axis of said yoke- 13. He then a above said yoke and 1n threaded engagement with said stem for movement toward and from the yoke, said member having means engageable by the jaws for controlling their expansion and contraction, and means for yieldingly urging the jaw-carrying yoke in a direction relative to said controlling member to effect the contraction of the jaws.

3. A tool of the character described, comprising a yoke havin an opening therein, jaws fulcrumed on sai yoke at opposite sides of its opening to swing toward and from the axis thereof, a screw stem extending freely through said yoke-opening, a jaw-controllin member in threaded engagement with said screw stem, said member having inclined faces engageable with said jaws for governing their expansion and contraction, means for limiting the contraction of said jaws, means for yieldingly urging the jaw-carrymg yoke in a direction relative to the controlling member for effecting the contraction of the 4. A tool of the character described, comprising a yoke having an opening therein, jaws fulcrumed on said yoke at opposite sides of its opening to swing toward and from the axis thereof, a screw stem extending freely through said yoke-opening, a jaw-controlling member in threaded engagement with said screw stem and having notches at its ends for receiving the upper ends of the jaws, the cooperating inner faces of the jaws and the notch-bottoms being correspondingly inclined for governing the expansion and contraction of the jaws during a relative axial movement of the screw stem and controlling member, and a spring interposed between the yoke and the controlling member for constantly urging the yoke in a direction away from said member to contract the jaws.

5. A tool of the character described, comprising ayoke having an opening therein,

jaws fulcrumed on "said yoke at opposite sides of its opening to swing toward and from the axis thereof, a screw stem extending freely through said yoke-o ening, a jaw-controllin member in threade engagement with said screw stem, said member having means engageable with said jaws for governing their expansion and contraction, means for yieldingly urging the jaw-carrying yoke in a di-.

rection relative to said controlling member to effect the contraction of the jaws, and

handles on said jaws projecting above said controlling member. I

JEROME E. BERGMAN. FREDERICK P. EGO. 

